Located north of Osage, this deck girder bridge crosses Sugar Creek.
Built in 1918, the bridge features six deck girder spans, set onto concrete substructures. These concrete substructures have a stamp indicating they were built by company forces.
However, these girder spans were relocated here from an unknown location. Each at 29 feet 8 inches, they are the exact length and similar in relocation year to another span in western Iowa. It is unknown if that span is related to these six, but it seems possible, and maybe even likely.
Because these spans are identical to the Harrison County bridge, it is believed they were built approximately 1903. Because the IC was such an extensive system, it may be difficult to find an original location on these spans.
Railroads often reused spans that were in good condition on branch lines, or in case of emergency. However, there are a few secondhand spans on the branch lines in Iowa, indicating this was likely part of an overall improvement plan.
Overall, the bridge appears to be in good condition, and has recently received a new deck.
The author has ranked this bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design.
The photo above is an overview.